Farmers recognised in regions
The applause was loud and took time to die out at various centres on friday as the country celebrated its farmers who toiled to produce food to feed the people and raw materials for the country's industries, as well as revenue for the country through exports.
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Across regional capitals and districts, gallant farmers who stood out among the lot were honoured for their hard work and dedication.
Young farmers and the physically challenged were not left out of the celebrations which started in 1984.
From a pair of Wellington boots and machetes as the prize for the National Best Farmer, the awards have grown big with the overall prize being a house.
To win an award, qualified farmers are assessed on certain criteria including diversified and integrated farming, adoption of new technology and scale of operation.
The awards committee is also interested in knowledge of husbandry practices, environmental awareness and relevant practices, entrepreneurship and the farmer’s role in his or her community.
This year’s event, the 31st edition, which took place across the country, had the theme: “Transform Ghana, Invest in Agriculture.”
Greater Accra
At Kpone, the Vice-President, Mr Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, graced the occasion.
He inspected some of the produce which had been displayed as part of the celebration and commended the farmers for their contribution towards national development.
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Speaking at the event, the Vice-President reiterated the commitment of the government to agricultural development.
A 52-year-old commercial farmer, Mr Ebenezer Tetteh Okoe, was adjudged the best farmer in the Greater Accra Region and for his prize, he took home a tricycle, latex foam products, a polytank, wax prints and other farming inputs.
The Best District Farmer, Mr Theophillus Abodakpi, for his prize was given a tricycle, one bicycle, a bag of fertiliser, four cutlasses, a pair of Wellington boots, one knapsack sprayer, wax print and some food items.
Regional Minister
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, commended farmers for their hard work over the years and described the theme as appropriate, in view of the economic importance of agriculture to the state.
He said transforming the agriculturel sector required modernising the industry to attract the youth and stressed the need to shift focus to peri-urban agriculture which did not require intensive land use.
He congratulated the six farmers and fishermen from the region who won various awards at the national event which took place in the Upper East Regional Capital, Bolgatanga.
The Kpone Katamanso District Chief Executive, Alhaji E.A. Tetteh, said the theme underscored the need for adequate investment in the agricultural sector to enable it to impact effectively on the transformation of the economy.
In the Accra metropolis, Zainabu Issah reports that a poultry farmer, Lieutenant Connell Felix Osei, beat 19 other farmers including fishermen, processors, market associations and individuals involved in agriculture to win the Best Farmer in the Accra Metropolis.
The award, which was presented by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), saw Lieutenant Osei take home a fridge, a polytank, poultry feed, fertiliser and a bicycle.
Speaking on the theme, “Transform Ghana: Invest in Agriculture”, the Deputy Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Djanmah Vanderpuye, said despite the low growth rate witnessed by the sector in the past few years, it still continued to contribute immensely to the household and national food and nutrition security.
He, however, urged members of the assembly to pay attention to the destruction of food and export crops such as cashew and mangoes by real estate developers which, had resulted in the reduction of land for crop production.
Tema
The report from Tema by Benjamin Xornam Glover is that Mr Emmanuel Wewedu, a 60-year-old farmer, emerged the Best Farmer for the Tema Metropolis during this year’s Farmers’ Day celebration held at Manhean, a suburb of Tema Newtown.
For his prize, Wewedu, who has two wives and 21 children, received a tricycle, six bags of fertiliser, some veterinary drugs, a knapsack sprayer, six cutlasses, a box of herbicide, Wellington boots, a certificate and other farming inputs.
Twenty farmers comprising five females and 15 males were awarded in the ceremony on the theme “Transform Ghana: Invest in Agriculture.”
The Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Tema, Mr Isaac Ashai Odamtten, in his address, said that the assembly had resolved to transform the agricultural sector to increase productivity in the metropolis.
Upper East
At Zebilla, 19 individuals and organisations were awarded at the celebration of this year's Upper East Regional Farmers Day at Zebilla in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region, reports Alhandu Abdul-Hamid & Vincent Amenuveve, Zebilla.
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Mr Lazarus Akundi, who was adjudged the Regional Best Farmer, took home a motorcycle, knapsack sprayer, two bags of fertiliser, two cutlasses, two Wellington boots, four polythene sacks, one water pump and a certificate.
Addressing the ceremony, the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr James Zuuga, said the government was working on policies and programmes that would boost agricultural production in the region.
He indicated that under a livestock development project, 6,000 small ruminants were distributed to farmers in six districts in the region, while the rice sector support project assisted 1,744 farmers to develop lowlands for rice production
He also said the Ghana Commercial Agriculture Project also assisted seven commercial farmers to produce rice and maize in commercial quantities.
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On irrigation, he said aside from the Tono and Vea irrigation projects, the northern rural growth programme was constructing two other irrigation schemes at Yarigu-Tienga and Gooo, both in the Bawku West District, for tomatoes, rice, onion and pepper production.
From the Norther Region, Samuel Duodu reports that at Pong in Tamale, a 49-year-old farmer from the Karaga District, Alhaji Husieni Muhid Cama, was adjudged the 2015 Northern Regional Best Farmer at the Regional Farmers' Day celebrations.
He took home a tricycle, sewing machine, three wax prints, three bags of fertiliser, agrochemicals and a corn sheller.
Nineteen others who won other categories of awards were also presented with certificates, agricultural inputs and bicycles.
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The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna, commended farmers for their role in ensuring food security in the region and appealed to the youth to take up farming as a profession since agriculture was a lucrative venture.
He appealed to chiefs, assembly members and opinion leaders to educate their people on bush fires which were rampant in the region during the harmattan period.
The Northern Regional Director of Agriculture, Mr William Boakye Acheampong, for his part, urged farmers in the region to take advantage of the various water bodies, dams and hand-dug wells in the region to increase food production.
Twenty farmers were honoured at the 31st edition of the district version of the National Farmers Day celebration in the Agotime Ziope District of the Volta Region, reports Tim Dzamboe from Batume Junction.
They were given knapsack sprayers, Wellington boots, cutlasses and bars of Key Soap or half pieces of cloths, except the Overall Best District Farmer who took home one knapsack sprayer, a pair of Wellington boots, wax print, six litres of herbicide, six cutlasses, two bars of Key Soap and tabletop fridge.
The Overall Best District Farmer was Mr Esaie Akator from Wodome and the best physically challenged farmer was Mr Yohanes Asem from Ahiagbakope. The Best Youth Farmer was Mr Anthony Nutekpor from Magotideke and Best Most Active Farmer-based Organisation was the Miwoenenyo Women in Agriculture from Akpokope.
Ashanti Region
From the Ashanti Regional Capital, Daniel Kenu writes that in the Kumasi metropolis, a 54-year-old farmer, Evelyn Osei Owusu, CEO of the Osei Wiredu Farms, won the Overall Best Farmer at the ceremony held at Appiadu.
In all, 22 farmers, including three women and a military officer of the Central Command, Staff Sergeant Tuov Ziem Robert, a backyard gardener, were rewarded with assorted products.
The overall winner went home with a number of mattresses, LED TV set, four cutlasses, bars of Key Soap, knapsack sprayers, weedicides and a certificate.
In a speech read for him, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Mr Kojo Bonsu, urged Ghanaians to reduce the demand for imported food and rather patronise local produce thereby keeping local farmers in business.
Brong Ahafo
Kwame Asiedu Marfo reports from Techiman that a 36-year-old auto mechanic from Goaso in the Asunafo North District in the Brong Ahafo Region was adjudged the Best Farmer in the region at a durbar to mark the 31st Farmers Day at Techiman.
He received a tricycle, machetes, sewing machine, water pump, a cloth, refrigerator and certificate.
Fifteen farmers received awards at the regional level while 285 farmers were awarded at separate ceremonies held by the municipal and district assemblies in the region.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Mr Eric Opoku said the country’s economy depended on agriculture and that a change in the face of agriculture would lead to significant development of the economy.
He therefore stressed the urgent need to change the structure of the economy in order to address the trade imbalance that existed between exports and imports, which required a transformation of the agricultural sector from a resource-based one to a technology-based industry.
Mr Opoku said the Medium-Term Agricultural Sector Investment Plan (METASIP) emphasised commodity value chains anchored on various infrastructure to support the entire agricultural sector from production to the final consumer.
He also said the METASIP had projected that GH¢1,532,409,000 would be needed in the medium term to put in place various infrastructure such as irrigation, storage structures, roads, and rural infrastructure, mechanisation services, technology and equipment, among others, to create the backbone to support the middle-income status of the country.
Upper West
From Jonga in the Upper West Region, Emmanuel Modey reports that Mr Kasim Badakia, a 38 year-old-farmer at Nabulo in the Sissala
East District, emerged as the overall Upper West Regional Best Farmer during which 31 other farmers including seven females and a physically challenged person received various awards at a joint durbar held at Jonga in the Wa Municipality last Friday.
Mrs Getrude Putiaru of Goziri in the Nandom District was also adjudged the Best Regional Woman Farmer.
For their prizes, Mr Badakia received a certificate, tricycle, sheller, water hose and pump, Wellington boots and cutlasses, while Mrs Putiaru took home a certificate, five bags of fertiliser, Wellington boots, knapsack sprayer, maize sheller, bicycle and a set of protective clothing.
Mr Badakia has cultivated over 100 acres of various food crops and also has poultry such as guinea fowls, and cattle.
For the Wa Municipality, Mr Saani Issahaku, a 36-year-old farmer of Cheringu, emerged as Overall Best Farmer, while Mrs Mary Abubakari of Nakore was adjudged the Best Woman Farmer. In all, 19 farmers, including females, took home various items such as tricycles, Wellington boots, cutlasses, radio sets and clothing.
In his address, the Upper West Regional (UWR) Director of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), Mr Joseph Faalong, urged the youth to consider agriculture as a business venture.
“There is money in the soil so spend most of your leisure periods on the farm,” he said.
To him, farming is not a dirty job since in this world of chances and challenges, the richest people are the farmers. Education should not alienate a person from engaging in farming, especially when there is vast land lying idle in the region. His advice to the youth is that they should see the soil as the source of all wealth. He said: "If you till it well, you will reap in abundance."
The UWR Minister, Alhaji Amin Amidu Sulemani, urged farmers in the region to venture into the production of non-traditional export crops such as mango, cashew and shea to enhance their livelihood. “These are crops which when produced on a large scale, could increase one’s income for improved livelihood”, he added.